Jackson Scott: Sandy

Jackson Scott is “a college dropout with a 4-track as well as a one-track mind,” hailing from Asheville, North Carolina. His full-length LP Melbourne came out last summer, so this isn’t exactly a recent release, but I think it still merits a pass-over because not much else in the vicinity of “alternative rock” has topped its originality for me. Though his music is comparable to Elephant 6 bands or Deerhunter-related projects, he claims he’s never listened to the stuff and professes a love for Syd Barrett and early Weezer. Above all, his tracks are catchy in a way I never thought music could be until the days of Mac Demarco (Sleaze-pop?), but somehow also sincere and youthful and uplifting.

“Sandy,” by itself, is hard not to interpret as the product of a cynical period in art. A nasal, pitch-shifted vocal melody spits out dark yet humorous lyrics which float above jangly guitar tracks (“little kids sitting all around / wishing they were sound asleep again … didn’t have a choice this time i guess”), and the listener is torn between a sort of nostalgic discomfort and critical laughter. It’s distinct from may of the other songs on Melbourne in that it has a driving tempo instead of a sludgy or shoegazy feel, but maintains a similar aesthetic with the stilted and childish lyrics and vocal intonation. Ultimately, you want to sing along with him, even if it’s out of your range vocally and ethically — Jackson Scott inspires a distorted, modernized unity.

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No Smoking Media is a regularly updated and hand curated feed of music releases, free from hierarchical judgment and included regardless of press coverage. Our priority is for our readers to discover good, creative music that they might not otherwise hear, and for artists we admire to gain a wider audience and be recognized for their musical excellence.